Lisa Andersen's blog

Josh Edwards and I have spent part of the last 14 weeks building a database of people, places, activities and publications to assist us with mapping cultural assets - past and present - in the Central Darling Shire in Far West NSW.

All this week we are contacting (via telephone) a group of local people identified in our research to introduce them to the CAMRA project and ask them some questions about what they make and buy locally, where they take visitors and what inspires them about where they live. 

Last week I facilitated a masterclass with Museums and Galleries NSW entitled "Turning visitor research data into arguments".

(Not surprisingly) Preparing for the session got me thinking about cultural venues collecting information about what their visitors and audiences think and want - and REALLY, TRULY using that data in their programming.

Advances in technology are making data easier and easier to collect alongside an increasingly negative perception of 'poll-driven' decision-making.

No real connection - except a moment's thought... "what is art?" - when these hit my email box in the same 'delivery' batch.

'Canstruction' - sculpting tinned food (of course)

"Good design and giving back to the community" - the 11th annual New Jersey Canstruction competition takes place in October in Newark (US).

http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/08/06/canstructing-new-jersey-architects-p...

'Microbes: invisible, influential, inspirational'

As the first stage of the research in Armidale-Uralla we are surveying local residents from September to November on local cultural assets - that is, what they themselves make, buy and value and also what they 'show-off' to visitors.

I have designed, tested, re-designed etc... a questionnaire for the past few months - until people most recently filling it in for pre-testing began to report that they both understood the questions and that they could complete it in around 10 minutes. One or two even said it was "fun to fill in".

It was ready.